County won’t defend Thomas in disbarment appeal

The county won’t defend former Maricopa County Andrew Thomas and two former prosecutors if they appeal an ethics panel decision to take away their law licenses.

Thomas has until Friday to appeal last week’s ruling.

Thomas and deputy prosecutor Lisa Aubuchon were disbarred last week. Her lawyer said earlier this week she will appeal. Another former prosecutor, Rachel Alexander, was suspended from practicing law for six months.

The panel concluded in part that Aubuchon and Thomas had broken criminal intimidation and perjury laws in knowingly bringing false bribery charges against a judge.

County Manager David Smith told The Arizona Republic that all three have been told the county won’t fund their appeals.

Thomas says he pursued cases against the judge and two county officials to root out corruption.

2 comments

Ordinary people / taxpayers cannot afford to pay for quality Arizona lawyers — if they can even get a call through to them — since they are all taken by the politicos whose legal fees are paid for by us, the taxpayers. If all these taxpayer paid for legal fees had to be paid by for by the politics, these cases would evaporate along with the money (saving taxpayers millions of $$’s).

Ordinary people / taxpayers cannot afford to pay for quality Arizona lawyers — if they can even get a call through to them returned — since they are all taken by the politicos whose legal fees are paid for by us, the taxpayers.

If all these taxpayer-paid-for legal fees had to be paid by for by the individuals / politicos, these lawsuits would evaporate along with the money (saving taxpayers millions of $$’s). Also, it would discourage using the legal system as a way to destroy their enemies — at taxpayer expense.

It’s time to end absolute immunity for prosecutors, many have abused their power for years, altered legislation in their favor and grown the prison population beyond the ability to be sustained. Now it’s their turn to be sent to prisons for decades. The harm and destruction they have caused innocent people, families and children, along with the state of Arizona is incalculable.

The MCAO needs a major house cleaning of the systemic culture that bred this prosecutorial misconduct. i.e. Ray Krone and innocent man, two trials, exonerated 10 years ago. Same prosecutors still in the system. Where are the exonerations since Ray Krone? If Thomas / Aubuchon / Alexander dared to do this to judges, officials, lawyers, then one can only imagine what they did to the ordinary people lost in the fray.

Is is time for an “outside” independent investigation of Thomas / Aubuchon (chief charging prosecutor) over 200,000 felony cases. Their disbarment demands it.